Trolley-track switch device.



W. H. NORMINE.

TROLLEY TRACK SWITCH DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.20. 1915.

1 171 ,748. Patented Feb. 15, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I. [7'

WITNESSES: I IN VENTOR.

flimzfzQl amm A TTORNE Y5.

W. H. NORIVHNE.

TROLLEY TRACK SWITCH DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED 050.20. 1915.

1 1 7 1 74.8 Patented Feb. 15, 1916.

I 2SHEETSSHEET2. Eg 5 7 0 14 WITNESSES I i I IN VEI'N TOR.

fimfl/lzm jQM BY ffzzi A TTORNE YS.

ran; STATES rarnm an gE *1 WILLIAM H. NORMINE, or

onrcornn FALLS, nassacnusnrrs,assienon To IEISK.

- RUBBER COMPANY, OF CHICOPEE FALLS, MASSACHUSETTS, A GQRPORATION F MASSACHUSETTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

TBOLLEY-TRACKSWITCH DEVICE.

Patented. Feb. 15,1916.

Application filed December 20, 1915. Serial No. 67,87 5.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. NORMINE, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Chicopee Falls, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trolley-Track Switch Devices,'of

which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention i relates in general to switches for overhead trolley: tracks, and, more particularly, to an lmproved arrangement of stops automatically operable by movements of the switch to safeguard the trolley system against accidentsdue to careless and heedless operation.

The switch itself is of the general type shown in the patent to Werner No. 571,607, grantedNo vember 17 1896. It embodies essentially two pivoted rail sections with interengage able means between the sections whereby one thereof is actuated by movement of the other. Customarily, the main track is ar" ranged with a gap therein, which may be bridged by one of therail sections, and a branch track,terminating adjacent the gap, may be connected to the main track by the other rail section. Since one section is oper ated by movement of the other, when one sec tion is moved part way towardits closed position, the other, necessarily, is moved part way toward its open position. In other words, during the operation of the switch,

there is an interval when the gap between the main and branch tracks as well as be tween the main track and its prolongation is open. Although this interval is short, many accidents are caused. in practice by reason of the condition above described. For ex-' ample, it is the custom for an operator to propel the trolley truck along the overhead rails by hand and, as he approaches a switch, he uses one hand to propel the truck and the other to manipulate the switch. Frequently, the operator fails to correctly time the movements of his two hands with the result that the trolley truck is propelled into the gap in the main track' before a: switch section is completely moved into position with the result that the truck runs 01? the rails and frequently drops with its load upon the arm of the operator. Thus,

7 tions necessitated by modern business conditions, careful operation is the exception Especially is this true and not the rule. when the type of labor employed in work ofthis class is considered, which is generally unskilled labor, frequently men who have 7 but a meager understanding of the necessity for care. It is, therefore, desirable to pre-v vent these accidents by such modification of the switch structure as-will insure" foolproof operation rather-than to rely upon the'operator for careful work.

Stops for trolley tracks have been used heretofore but have, so far as I am aware, been applied to the branch track and ex tension of the main-track for the purpose r of preventing accidents due to retrograde {movements of the trolley truck after it has left the switch. 1 These stops are,-thus,- used on the exit side or the switch as distin-' guishedfrom the'entrance' side thereof adjacent the point' of intersection of the branch track'with the main rail. It will,'therefore,1

be evident that stops :so appliedcannot accomplish the desired purpose since they are not encountered until after the switch has beensafely passed.

It is an'object of'this invention to provide in a trolley track switch, having two pivoted rail sections interconnectedfor-co operative actlon and arranged so that one thereof is'thrown into switching position as the other is withdrawn therefrom, a stop automatically operable from oneof said sec-' tions whereby the entrance to the switch maybe blocked at all times'exceptwhen one v of said sections is inswitch formingposrl tion. 1 f

Another cept when one rail section is in switch formobject of the invention is to pro 'vide in adevice of the class described an au-' tomatic stop adjacent the. entrance side of the switch arranged to block the track eX-.

ing position, and other stops on the'branch d m i i r ksrespectively and on the exit.

side of the switch, which stops are automatically operated by their respective rail sections to block the track when their respective sections are withdrawn from switching position.

Gther objects and advantages will appear in the following description and in the annexed claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein a single embodiment of tion is shown for the purposes of illustration-Figure 1 is a top plan view of the switch showing the invention as applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is an end elevation looking. from the right hand side of Fig. 1 Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 3 with the rail sections shown as moved part way into position; Fig. 5 is an end elevation looking from the left hand side of Fig. 1; and Fig. 6 is a sectional elevational view taken on the line 66 of Fig.

.1 and looking in the direction of the ar-:

rows.

Referring tothese drawings, the switch structure, although generally similar to that shown'in the above-mentioned patent, will be described in sufficient detail to permit a clear understanding-of the invention.

The main rail comprises tracks 1 and 2 and the branch track is indicated. at. 3.

These tracks may be supported by any of the.

well-known means (not shown) from the ceiling. The tracks 1 and. 2 are bolted to the ends of a switch bracket- 4 so that a gap is formed between the tracks. Pivotally connected at 5 to bracket 4 is a horizontally slidable switch 'member with an upstanding rail to fit between the rails 1 and 2 to close the gap therebetween. A. second switch member Sarranged above the member 6 is connected to the bracket 4 by a horizontal pivot 9 and has curved rail section 10 arranged to connect the tracks 1 and 3 which section,

when moved to the position shown in F igs:

1 to 3, is supported. at one end by a shoulder 13 formed in the end of rail 3. An armi14 formed integrally with the member'8 provides means for raisingand lowering the latter. Also formed on member 8 is a curved depending arm 15 which extends.

through an opening 16 formed in the switch member 6 (Figs. 1 and 3). When the member 8 is lifted, the arm 15 engages the forward surface 17 of hole 16 and cams the member 6 into positionto close thegap between rails 1 and 2. When the switch member 8 is lowered to connect tracks 1 and 3,

the arm 15 acts against-the rear surface-18 to withdraw the member 6 to thrv position shown in Fig. 1.

Pivoted at 20 to a block 21 secured to the bracket 4 adjacent the entrance side of the switch is a pawl 22 whichis arranged the inven-.

tioning of'member gage wing 24 ZlIlflTEtlSG the pawl 22.

6 which isformed" section. Tadaptedformed thereon which are adapted to be engaged by arms 25 and-26, respectively. Thelatterare formed on the horizontally movable switch member 6 and extend laterally therefrom, as. shown in Fig. 1. With the switch member 8.in the position shown: in Fig. 1, the pawl 22 is held away from track 1 as shown in Fig. ment of parts 23 and 25.

3 by the engage Obviously, as

soon as the-member 8 is'raised a slight distance, pawl 22 Wlll drop by gravity intothe position shown in Fig. rail 1 is blocked. Continued ment of member 4, .wherein the upward moveswitch member 6'into position to connect; the tracks 1 and 2 and, just prior to this posifrom the track. When lowered, the arm 26 withdraws from 6, the arm 26 will en away the member 8 is wing 24 and allows the-pawl 22-to again drop on the rail. Immediately before the member 8 drops into the position shown in Fig.3, the arm 25 'engagesarm 23, raises the pawl 22, and finally holds it in the position shown in Fig- 3.

To block the track 2 when the rail section 7 is not in position to connect it to track 1,

a pawl 30 is employed (see Fig.

pawl is pivoted at 31 in This a like manner to pawl 22, and its construction is identical therewith exceptthe wing 24 is omitted.

The curved arm 32 b of pawl 30'is operated an arm 33 formed on switch member16 1n a manner analogous to that already described. Thus, track 2 may be blocked until rail section 7-1s thrown into position to connect tracks 1 and 2.

The stop for the Swill, however, movethe branch track 3 is, however, of a somewhat I different type and is shown'in Figs. 1 and 6 but has not been illustrated in the other figures. The stop is a substantially U- shaped member whichhas spaced wings 40' on I either, side: of track; 3

and a connecting portion 41 forthe wingswhich lies below the track.

The stop is pivoted at to rail 3,and,- when switch memberS is raised, it assumes the dotted line posltlon shown 1n Fig. 6

by reason of theweighted portion- 41. Thus, track 3may-be blocked by wings 1 40 which-cannot be turned in a counterclock wise direction on account of the abutment of a surface 43 with the underside of track" When, however, the member 8' is lowered,i a lug ,44 thereon engages the inclined surface 45 on the inner wing. 40 and cams the latter downwardly into the position: shown by full lines in. Fig. 6.

In operation, with the tion shown in Figsl to.

parts in the posi 3, as the'operator moves his trolley truck along the. track I and wishes to continue along the straight track, he pulls the arm It. If, carelessly, he should continue to propel the truck be fore the switch rail 7 had been movedinto position, the truclrwill be stopped by pawl 22 which, as described, always lies -on track 1 as shown in Fig. 4 during the interval of operation of the switcln From d, it will be clearly apparent that, ifthe pawl 22 were not used, the truck could run off rail 1 as the rail 2 has not been moved into position and as rail 10 is lifted sufficiently to permit the passage of the truck wheels thereinunder; If the truck leaves rail 1 in this manner, it will drop upon the surface 11 of bracket a and very likely roll from this surface and drop either upon the arm of the operator ordirectly to the floor with sufiicient damage ineither case. The stops 30 and d0 act in an obvious manner to pre-' ventthe truck running ofl'. the track from retrograde movements. Thus, an automatically operable stop has been provided for a trolley track switch, which is arranged to. block the entrance side of the switch when either switch rail is improperly positioned.

It is recognized that various modifications may be made in the particular embodiment described for illustrative purposes without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined by the annexed :claims rather than the foregoing detailed description. I

What I claim is V 1. The combination vwith an interrupted main line track and a branch line track, of switch members one thereofarrangedto connect the interrupted main line sections and the other to connect the main line with the branch track, said members arranged so that an actuation of one causes a movement of. the other, a device pivoted to the main line track adjacent the common intersection of both said members therewith, said device arranged to drop' on said track by gravity and means on one of said members to raise and hold the device away from said track when either of said members is positioned to connect said tracks.

2. The combination with an interrupted main line track and a. branch track of switch members one thereof arranged, to connect the interrupted main track and the other to connect the main line with the branchtrack, said members arranged so that as one member is thrown into connecting position the other is withdrawn therefrom, a stop pivoted to the main track on the exit side of the switch, and arranged normally to block the track, means on one of said mem bers operable to retract said stop when the member is positioned to connect-theinterrupted main track, a second stop pivoted to the branch track and arranged normally to members to retract the stop when the memi her is positioned to connect the main and branch tracks, and a protective device pivoted to the main track adjacent the common intersection I of both said :members therewith and: arranged to .drop by gravity]: upon said track, two actuat ng members formed on said device, and a finger for each of said actuatingmembers formedion one of said switch members, said fingers arranged alternately to engage its respective actuating member whereby, when one switch vmember is withdrawn from connecting position, the

said device may drop into lockingposition; upon the mam track and remain in such position until the other switch member is thrown into connecting position;

3. A switch for trolley traoks, comprisingin combination, a frame, two pivoted switch members adapted to connect an interrupted main llne track and the mam line track to a branch track respectively, said, members arranged so that as one thereof is thrown into connecting position, the

other is withdrawn therefrom,a stop device pivoted to the frame adjacent the common intersection of said members with the main track, and arranged to drop by gravity into blocking position on the main track, a pair of actuating arms formed on said device, and fingers formed on one of said switch members and engageable with said arms, all

constructed and arranged so that one of said fingers engages its respective arm on said 7 device to hold the latter away from the'track when one switch member is in connectlng position and the other finger engages the other arm to raise the device when the other member is in connecting position, whereby during the transitionof said members the mam track may be blocked.

i. A switch for trolley tracks, comprising,

in combination, a frame, two switch members pivoted thereto and adapted respectively to connect interrupted main track sections and to connect a main track to a branch track, said members arranged so;

that as one thereof is moved into position to connect its tracks the other is withdrawn from connecting position, a pawl pivoted to the frame adjacent the entrance side of said switch members and arranged to drop by V gravity upon the main traolrto block the latter, two actuating arms on said pawLa finger for each arm formed on one of said.

switch members, one finger arranged when one switch member 1S'1I1 connecting position to hold the pawl away from the track and the other finger arranged when the other member is in connecting position to hold the pawl away from the track, said fingers arranged to alternately engage their respective arms, whereby as one member is withdrawn from connecting position the pawl'may drop on the track and remain so positioned until the other member is thrown into connecting position.

The combination with aninterrupted' Copies of this patent may be obtained'for five cents each bjr addressing the Commissi Washington, 5D. 0.

adjacentthe intersectioncf the main ,and' branch; line tracksand' arranged When in If) one position to block the'former, and mech anism operable by movement of either said 7 members to move the stop to-blocking posi tion' during the interval of operation of either said members.

WILLIAM :H. NORMIN E1. 1

one! of Patents, 

